While Hogwarts Legacy Early Access is one of the main reasons why Harry Potter fans have purchased the Deluxe Edition digital version of the game, the exact start date and time for when players will be able to play and download it is somewhat confusing. Some of it depends on the platform, whether that’s PS5, Xbox Series X|S, or PC via Steam. The start time will also change depending on your time zone.
Hogwarts Legacy early access start date and time for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S
In general, the Hogwarts Legacy early access start date begins on February 7, specifically 72 hours before the standard release date for February 10. We tentatively believe that for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, players will be able to start playing Hogwarts Legacy from the PlayStation Store and Microsoft Store at 12:01 AM on February 7 in their respective time zones.
Unfortunately, the exact start time remains unspecified, with WB Games Support stating in a tweet on February 1 that it still has no “details about specific release times for early access.” The publisher suggests that you check back on the game’s official social media for more specifics as we get closer to the February 7 release date. Either way, to speed up the process, you can preload Hogwarts Legacy through the Xbox or PlayStation Store.
Hogwarts Legacy early access start date and time for PC Steam
The Hogwarts Legacy early access start date and time will still be February 7, but the game likely won’t be available for download on Steam until 11 AM PT / 1 PM ET / 7 PM CT.
This is based on release times for prior games from Warner Bros. like Gotham Knights. One user on Reddit apparently checked this start time by looking at when the countdown ticks down on Steam. Of course, Warner Bros. could surprise us by allowing access earlier than that, but it would go against its track record.
Is there early access to Hogwarts Legacy on PS4, Xbox One, or Nintendo Switch?
There will be no early access date for the PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch versions of the game. If you get a physical copy of the game early, you can start playing it without having to worry about any download start time or date. Early access to Hogwarts Legacy can be purchased via either the Deluxe Edition or Collector’s Edition.
Unfortunately, there does not seem to be an option to pre-load the game on Steam, so you’ll need to wait for quite a while to play the game compared to those on consoles.
